Breathing in the Spirit of Love

John 3: 1- 8

I was introduced to the following exercise recently. I find it a very helpful way of reminding myself to 'receive' the Spirit's renewal and recreation in my daily life. A reminder that all that I am and all that I do has to connect with my inner life in the Spirit.

Become aware of your breathing through your nostrils.

Relax. Breathe normally.

Imagine now the Risen Lord breathes the Spirit into you.

He breathes the Spirit out and you breathe the Spirit in.

Relax. Breathe normally.

Receive the Spirit of Love.

Feel the Spirit fill you with God's love.

Think of how every part of your life is being filled with the Spirit.

Think of how the Spirit recreates your relationships with God, with yourself, with others.

The Risen Lord breathes the Spirit into you.

Allow the Spirit to fill you with the fruit of love, joy, peace....

End with a prayer of thanks.

I believe this is not just an exercise of the imagination, a kind of psychological trick to make one feel better. I look at this as a 'reality' exercise; putting into a concrete and embodied form the truth - that at every moment we are invited to 'receive the Spirit' who renews, recreates and gifts us with his abundant fruit.